Line adjuster



P. P. SPROWL LINE ADJUSTER Nov. 7, 1950 Filed June 16, 1947 .11 1,111 iL...] i i fiiwpmzaz ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 7, 1950 UNITED STATES.PATENT OFFICE LINE ADJ-'USTER Paul: P. Sprowl, Bakersfield, Calif.

Application June 16, 1947, Serial No. 754,937.

1 Claim.

."I'his'v invention relates to. a line adjuster, and more particularly,has reference to a means, embodied in the construction. of a device ofthis type, whereby a brick layers line may be retained in position topermit. laying of bricks, blocks, or the like, ina straight line.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a device of thecharacter" described which is adapted to retain theline in the desiredposition tightly, conveniently, and in the predetermined positiondesired.

A further important object of the invention is to provide a device ofthe type stated which is adapted to engage the line in any of variousadjusted positions, whereby to lengthen the line, tightenit, or makesuch other adjustments as may be-necessary.

Still another important object of the invention is to prov de a deviceof the character described which, with the cooperation of the line, isadapted togrip a corner brick or block' tightly, and to remain in saidengagement with the object gripped without further attention, wherebythe brick layer can proceed to lay the bricks or blocks with. ease.

Still another important object of the invention is to provide means, in.a device of the type stated, whereby a single. line may be drawn. tautin. adjusted position on two sides of a building; permitting the layingof bricks simultaneously, and without difiiculty, along both sides;

Still another object is to provide a device of this type which can beconstructed with. a minimum of expense, is easily mounted in position,extremely durable, and capable of ready and speedy adjustment.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details ofconstruction and combinations of parts, herein after more fullydescribed and pointed out in the claims, it being understood thatchanges may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts,without departing from the spirit of the invention as cla med.

Referring to the drawing Figure 1 isa plan View, somewhat diagrammatic,showing the device in mounted position,

ready for the laying of the bricks or blocks.

Figure 2 is a plan view, showing the device as it appears when engagingthe end of a line carried thereby.

Figure 3 is an elevational view, taken from the right of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a plan view, somewhat diagrammatic, showing the invention asapplied to permit laying of bricks along two sides of a building;

Figure 5 is a plan view of a modification, adapted particularly to serveas an intermediate member when the invention is applied for layingbricks along two sides of a building;

Figure 6 is an elevational View taken from the right of Figure 5'.

Figure 7 is a side elevational view of a. modified form.

Figure. 8 is a plan View of a fourth modification of the invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, 5 and 6 designate respective sidesof the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, thesesides being readily formed from rectangular blocks of any desiredmaterial, such as wood or the like, and being suitably joined. at oneend in perpendicular relation to. each other, whereby the respectiveinner. surfaces 7 and 8 thereof may be. fully perpendicular.

In the embodiment illustrated, transverse angular teeth 9 are providedon the inner surface. I of side 5, these being. adapted to grip tightlythe outer surface of a brickv A, whereby the device may be. effectivelyretained in properly mounted position on the brick or block.. In thisconnection, although I' have shown such teeth as being formed in onlyone of the two inner surfaces 1 and 8, it is obviously withinv the.spirit of the invention, to an extent not believed to require separateillustration, that similar teeth 9 can be formed in the other innersurface. 8, if desired.

Extended transversely through. the. side 5, and positioned preferablyintermediate the upper and. lower edges thereof, is an. opening If],the. axis. of which is parallel to, and. closely spaced from,

the plane in which lies the inner surface 8 of 1.

side 6. This. receives a line II, and as clearly shown in Figure 2,. theformation of. opening H1 at the point stated results in line I I- lyingclosely against the inner surface 8, so that when the device is mountedagainst a corner block. A, line i i will be pressi'ngly retained betweenthe sur-- faces of the block. and. the inner surface- 8 of side 6'. 7

Extended transversely through the side ii, adjacent its end, is athreaded opening 12, which communicates at its. inner end with theopening I0, and which is in substantially perpendicular relation to saidopening, as clearly shown in Figure 2. A thumb screw I3 is threadable inopening [2, and the inner end ofv the thumb screw may be tightenedagainst the line H passed through. opening I0, whereby to tightlyretain. the line H. in fixed position. A

One or more transverse openings. l4 may be formed in. either or both.of. the sides 5- and 6, for the purpose. of receiving nails. or thelike, should it be desired to mount the device fixedly upon a batterboard or the like.

Referring now to. Figure. l, it is seen that. by the provision of adevice formed as described, two. of these devices are adapted tocooperate. in retaining in taut position a line IL Each adjuster ispositioned against the corner of a block A, line I i being stretchedtherebetween, withthe ends of the line threaded through the op posedopenings ill of the separate devices. Line- H is then drawn taut, in thedesired position, and the thumb screws E3 of the devices are tightenedagainst the ends thereof. The tautness of the line I I, in cooperationwith the'teeth 1 of each device, causes the devices to be tightlyretained in the position desired, and the line of blocks extendingbetween the corner blocks A can be laid, with the exact proper positionof each block being determined by aligning its outer 7 Additionallyfitis believed obvious that levels of an well known type, such as spiritlevels or'the like, can be embodied in each device, so that the devicewill be fully horizontal when mounted.

Should it 'be desired to secure the devices to batter boards or thelike, nails can be driven through the openings I 4 and into the batterboards for this purpose.

In the invention, it is possible for a single line to be stretched tautin proper position along two sides of the building. This is achieved byuse of a modified form of the device, in cooperation with the formspreviously described. Such a modified form is shown in Figure 5, andFigure 6. This comprises perpendicular sides I5 and I6,

each of which is provided with openings corresponding to the opening I0, these openings being respectively des gnated at I! and I8.Intermediate its ends, line II is threaded through these openings, andpassed around the outer corner of the device, as shown at I9.

side I0, threaded opening 22 containing thumb screw 23 communicates withthe opening I8.

The use of this modified form of device is illustrated in Figure 4. Asshown, the line, by the provision thereof, is drawn taut along two sidesof .the building, devices formed according to the first embodiment ofthe invention being mounted againstcorner blocks B and D, while themodified form is mounted against intermediate corner block C. The thumbscrews of all the devices are tightened after proper adjustment has beendetermined, and the line II is thus retained taut in its adjustedposition,

Another modified form is illustrated in Figure 7. This comprisesperpendicularly disposed sides 24 and 25,formed and arranged as in theembodiment illustrated in Figure 2, that is, with a line-receivingopening corresponding to the opening ifi, and thumb screw correspondingto the thumb screw I3, An opening 26 is formed in side 24, parallel toand adjacent the thumb screw op ing. Line I I, after having beenthreaded through opening corresponding to opening I0, is threadedoutwardly through opening 26, and then inwardly through any of openings21, 28, or 29. When the device is properly mounted in predeterminedposition on the corner brick, the openings 21, 28,

- or 29, can be selectively used to permit line II when stretched tautbetween two of the devices, to serve as a gauge, whereb a desiredthickness of mortar, plus a brick, will meet line I I. Thus, one ofthese openings can be used as a gauge where three-eighths inch of mortaris desired,

' another for one-half inch, and another for onequarter inch.

g In the side I5, a threaded opening 20, receiving thumb screw 1 2!,communicates with opening Il, while in the Referring to Figure 8, I havethere shown a 1 form of the device adapted for mounting on bricks havingrounded corners. n this form, the perpendicular inner surfaces 30 and 3|meet the ends of a curvingly formed corner inner surface 32, which isadapted to engage the rounded corner of the brick. Nails 33, or teeth,may be used for the purpose of providing a gripping means.

It will be observed from the construction illustrated and described thatmy device is capable of providing a means which is readily adjustable,for the purpose of providing a fully level line whereby a course ofbricks can be laid easily, with a proper level being maintained.Additionally, it is to be noted that by use of the device, it ispossible to gauge the thickness of the mortar underlying the'course ofbricks to be laid, and it is additionally possible to so employ theinvention as to stretch a line around two sides of a building, to permitseparate courses of bricks to be laid along both sides simultaneously.

It may be further noted that within the spirit of the invention asclaimed, the invention is obviously capable of being employed inconnection with squaring lots, foundations, or the like;

Considering the form of the invention as seen in Fig. 5, it may be notedthat the openings [1, I8 are respectively parallel to the inner faces ofthe opposite blocks I 6 and I5. At the same time,

one edge of the opening I! is in the plane of the inner face of theblock I6, while one edge of the opening I 8 is in the plane of the innerface of the block I5. As a result of this construction, a

cord can be extended through either one of the v openings when thedevice is to be used as an end cord holder, or the cord can be extendedas illustrated in Fig. 5 when the device is to be used as a corner cordholder. The cord is of substantially reduced width relative to the widthof the respective openings as readily seen from Fig. 5. By reason ofthis arrangement the cord portions,

when the device is used at the corner of a structure, are at rightanglesto each other, and extend almost into contact with each other while yetbarely clearing. The cords are thus formed-' into right angled portionswithout possibility of bunching, or becoming entangled.

What is claimed is:

A line adjuster comprising a pair of flat blocks havingplane inner facesintersecting at right an' gles, each block having an opening formedtherein intermediate its top and bottom edges and opening at itsopposite ends upon said inner face and the outer face of the block, eachopening being in parallelism with the inner face of the other block andone side edge of each opening being co-planar with said inner face ofthe other block; a cord extendable through said openings and ofsubstantially less width than the width of each opening; and clampingscrews threaded in the respective blocks, said screws projecting abovethe top edges of the blocks and extending downwardly from said top edgesinto communication with the respective openings. PAUL P. SPROWL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

I UNITED STATES PATENTS

